‘A new model: to make our main roads as green and clean and as healthy as the roads in the people-friendly streets’

• REMEMBER 2014?

Islington was “London’s first 20mph borough”. But official interest in the 20mph speed limit seems to be fading as fast as the roadway markings needed to make it work.

Away from the Red Routes (managed by Transport for London) most of the 20mph roadway repeater roundels are illegible: only those near speed cameras have been repainted.

And they are not the only vital traffic management feature going missing.

Many bus stop markings, bus lane lines, bus lane tarmac highlight and even centre lines have faded out of sight.

Of course, they need to be repainted. But honestly they are parts of an inadequate main road design that was not working very well and can never meet future challenges.

We need a new model: to hold on to precious rainwater, and to make our main roads as green and clean and as healthy as the roads in the people-friendly streets, (LTN, low traffic neighbourhoods).

Fortunately some elements of such a model already exist!

Part of White Hart Lane in Haringey has been regenerated with sustainable drainage and bio-retention rain-gardens.

At Crossway in Hackney there are refurbished footways with rain-gardens and low-level planting.

At Camley Street in Camden there is a series of cascading rain-gardens planted with grasses and perennials with evergreen ground cover.

The idea is that rainwater falling – if it ever does – on the roadway and footways is collected and led into rain-gardens along the road, retaining the water in the local environment and irrigating a densely-planted margin.

This acts as a buffer in times of drought and has the effect of visually populating the street view so that drivers automatically restrain their speed.

This improves conditions for residents, walkers, cyclists and those waiting for buses because it slows traffic. Drivers really do drive more carefully, without the need for signage!

A flexible single lane in each direction is separated by a wide flush contrast paving strip. At frequent intervals between the rain-gardens the curb is flush and pedestrians can cross whenever it is safe to do so.

So Islington’s time-worn main roads could be a great opportunity to address new challenges and show that all the borough’s residents – including those living on and using main roads – can look forward to cleaner, greener, healthier conditions.

Could we be “London’s first healthy main roads borough”?

For example:

— the route between Islington Green and Newington Green (historically the next village), an important corridor serving the eastern third of the borough;

— the junction at the Ball’s Pond Road is a dangerous mess, pedestrians, buses, cyclists, emergency vehicles and HGVs all struggling to get past each other; and

— conditions along Essex Road are lamentable, hazardous road surfaces along the near-sides of both carriageways, high-speed traffic, defective or incomplete road signs, carriageway markings and zebra crossing lights.

How about we transform this into our “healthy main roads” flagship? We could call it “Green to Green”.

The section from Mitchison Road to the Ball’s Pond Road could be the pilot project with an Angel-style bus-gate and an advanced stopping zone for northbound buses and cycles allowing them to clear the junction safely and expeditiously.

As regards funding, I wonder if cash from LTN fines could be used to improve the borough’s main roads?

ANDY ROELOFS, N1